Austin American-Statesman

Texas Hill Country Magazine

About Us

The mission. The need. The goal.

Costume Connections' mission is to ensure that every child's imagination is nurtured with a costume of their choice at Halloween.

Halloween and costumes are overlooked when we're thinking of ways to help the less fortunate in our communities. While Halloween may seem like a trivial "holiday", the children who are unable to participate in school parades and trick-or-treating are left with feelings of exclusion and shame. We understand that the holidays can be a stressful time of year - even more so for those struggling to make ends meet.

For these families, our goal is to eliminate the burden of making a decision whether to buy gas and pay a bill or to buy Halloween costumes for their children, and to give these kids a real shopping experience and a costume they will be excited and proud to wear.

The story.

The little costume drive that turned into much, much more. Michelle Burns is a busy mom, Realtor and community activist. For the past few years, she has been collecting and redistributing Halloween costumes on her own - 10 one year, 20 the next. In 2016, she decided she'd create a post in a community group on social media and was instantly inundated with responses from people with costumes to donate. With Katrina O'Grady's gracious offer of using her home as a drop-off center and Angie Lopez stepping in to refashion, embellish and merchandise, Costume Connections was born. With Angie's business savvy, Katrina's gentle nature (she's an RN) and fundraising skills, and Michelle's area connections, Costume Connection, Inc was formed as a Texas non-profit corporation, attained IRS 501(c)(3) status, and organized an incredibly successful "Non-profit Launch & Halloween Season Kickoff" fundraising event.

News & Notes

Incorporation & Exemption

In June 2017, Costume Connection, Inc. was formed as a Texas non-profit corporation and is classified as a public charity under IRS Code section 501(c)(3).

Volunteer Opportunities

Volunteers of all types are needed. Please don't hesitate to contact us.

Sponsors Needed

Please contact us about sponsorship and advertising opportunities at our upcoming events.

Help Our Cause

Your support and contributions will enable us to meet our goals and enrich the lives of children and families in our community. Your generous donation will be used toward new costumes and supplies needed to refresh donated costumes, as well as any fees related to costume collection and distribution events. *Costume Connection, Inc. is staffed by volunteers and the Directors do not collect a salary.